LGBT Tech Featured in Ellexamines on the Rising Threat of Internet Censorship

A recent Ellexamines deep-dive into the global rise of internet censorship spotlighted LGBT Tech as one of the key nonprofit organizations pushing back against restrictive laws and harmful content policies. The piece, “What Internet Censorship Looks Like,” examines the chilling effects of laws like the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling upholding Texas’ age-verification requirements for online content and the UK’s sweeping Online Safety Act, which has already led to forums, survivor communities, and advocacy spaces being taken down or hidden behind government ID verification.

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The article makes clear that while many of these measures are framed as protecting children, they carry dangerous consequences for free expression and privacy. In practice, vague age-verification laws and “harmful content” restrictions often result in the over-censorship of LGBTQ+ content, labeling it as adult or inappropriate simply because it acknowledges queer identities. From Oklahoma statutes that explicitly define “homosexuality” as harmful to minors, to platforms like Meta restricting LGBTQ hashtags for younger users, the evidence is mounting that these laws disproportionately target queer communities online.

LGBT Tech was recognized alongside leading digital rights and civil liberties groups such as the ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, STOP (Surveillance Technology Oversight Project), and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation.